Freshman Application and Admission

Application Eligibility

Admission to all majors at CSULB is competitive as CSULB continues to have more qualified applicants than spaces available for new students. Freshmen applicants must meet minimum CSULB eligibility requirements below to be considered. Be aware that CSULB criteria are higher than CSU system-wide minimum eligibility requirements.

What are the minimum CSULB eligibility requirements for Freshmen Applicants?

You are considered a freshman applicant if you will have attained a high school diploma or G.E.D. but have not earned college credit beyond the summer immediately following high school graduation. To be considered for freshman admission to CSULB you must meet the following minimum requirements:

You must graduate from high school by the end of the Spring term prior to Fall enrollment.

You must have a minimum “Eligibility Index” to be considered. The “Eligibility Index” is the result of a formula that combines your achievement in high school college preparatory courses with the results of the SAT I or ACT. Refer to Eligibility Index for details of how this index is calculated.

The minimum “Eligibility Index” to be considered for Fall 2016 CSULB freshmen admission:

Graduates of California high schools and other California residents: 3,200 minimum “Eligibility Index” to be considered. (Be aware that this is higher than the minimum for CSU system-wide eligibility.)

Other non-California residents: 3,502 minimum “Eligibility Index” to be considered.

How will students be considered for admission?

Applicants who meet the minimum CSULB criteria above will be considered based on their intended major.

Applicants to Music and Dance:

Eligible Applicants will be admitted based on the faculty evaluation of an audition. Contact the Dance Department or Music Department for details of the audition process.

Applicants to Nursing:

Nursing is the most competitive major at CSULB. Freshmen applicants will be admitted based on a calculated “STEM Eligibility Index.” The “STEM Eligibility Index” places additional weight on quantitative skills required for success in this major.
Refer to STEM Eligibility Index for details of how this index is calculated. Applicants must have a minimum “STEM Eligibility Index.” The minimum for Nursing consideration is 3,300. All eligible applicants will be ranked by the “STEM Eligibility Index” and will be offered admission based on space available.

Admission to Nursing will be to a ‘pre-Nursing’ status. Students must meet specific course and GPA milestones to remain in Pre-Nursing and must apply to the Nursing Department to be considered for admission to the major at the junior level.

Be aware: CSULB strongly recommends that applicants to Nursing complete additional math courses beyond the minimum required for the CSU to improve the likelihood of success in the major and timely graduation.

Applicants will be admitted based on a calculated “STEM Eligibility Index.” The “STEM Eligibility Index” places additional weight on quantitative skills required for success in these majors. Refer to STEM Eligibility Index for details of how this index is calculated. Applicants who are considered ‘local’ based on their high school of graduation or military status will be offered admission if they meet the minimum “STEM Eligibility Index.” The minimum for consideration is 3,300. Other eligible applicants will be ranked by the “STEM Eligibility Index” and will be offered admission based on space available in the major or college.

Admission to STEM majors will be to a ‘pre-major’ status. Continuation in the major will be subject to meeting specific lower division course and GPA requirements at CSULB that indicate the student’s ability to succeed and complete the major.

Be aware: CSULB strongly recommends that applicants to STEM majors complete additional math courses beyond the minimum required for the CSU to improve the likelihood of success in the major and timely graduation.

Applicants to other majors including undeclared:

Applicants will be admitted based on the calculated Eligibility Index used in establishing minimum CSULB eligibility above. Applicants who are considered ‘local’ based on their high school of graduation or military status will be offered admission if they meet the minimum “Eligibility Index” required of the major. Other applicants will be ranked by the “Eligibility Index” and will be offered admission based on space available in the major or college.

Admission to some majors will be to a ‘pre-major’ status. Continuation in the major will be subject to meeting specific lower division course and GPA requirements at CSULB that indicate the student’s ability to succeed and complete the major.

What if I am not eligible for admission to the major to which I applied?

Local Applicants: Applicants who are considered ‘local’ based on their high school of graduation or military status who meet the CSULB minimum eligibility requirements but are not admissible to the major will be offered admission as an ‘undeclared’ student. Undeclared students will explore other appropriate majors through coursework and advising and must meet the major-specific criteria for the major prior to declaring a major by their junior year. Applicants should note that ‘undeclared’ is not a route to their initial intended major. Undeclared students work with university advisors to identify and succeed in alternate majors.

The BEACH Pathways program: This program encourages applicants from targeted communities based on low socioeconomic status and historically low rates of college going to submit supplemental materials for a holistic admissions review. A limited number of applicants will be admitted based on, community involvement/leadership, overcoming significant hardship, and potential for degree completion.

Other applicants: Admission to CSULB is very competitive. As a result, many eligible applicants will not be offered admission. CSULB strongly recommends that all applicants have a back-up plan!

Application Process

Explore and choose a major to declare on the application

Apply on-line by the deadline

Submit SAT or ACT Test Scores

Submit Official transcripts or other documents only if requested

Explore and choose a major to declare on the application

Freshmen applicants may either select a specific major or apply as undeclared. Since the major you select will impact the way in which you are considered for admission we suggest that you review the majors offered at CSULB paying careful attention to the courses required to earn a degree. Check out the University Catalog for this information.

Apply on-line by the deadline

Applicants must apply during the CSU initial filing period (October 1 – November 30 for Fall admission). Refer to Current Application Deadlines to see if CSULB is open to applications for a specific term and the deadline to apply. To apply to CSULB, visit CSUMentor. Once submitted, we will send you a notification by email to acknowledge receipt of your application.

CSULB makes admission decisions based on self-reported information from the application so it is extremely important that coursework including grades and test scores are entered accurately and completely. Admitted students who intend to enroll at CSULB will be required to submit an official transcript in order to verify eligibility and high school graduation. Admission decisions may be withdrawn for students who misreported academic information or who have not met the terms of the admission offer.

Submit SAT or ACT Test Scores

To be considered for admission, you must take the SAT I or ACT, preferably by the end of October but no later than December. You must request that your score results be sent directly to CSULB from the testing agency.

For the SAT, use the institution code of 4389 if you are only applying to CSULB. If you are also applying to other CSU campuses, use the CSUMentor institution code of 3594 so any CSU campus can retrieve your score.

For the ACT, use the CSULB institution code of 0302. If you have already listed a different CSU campus as an ACT score report recipient, you can use the ACT Scores Manager on CSUMentor to release your scores to CSULB.

Submit transcripts or other documents only when requested

If your application information is complete, we may have sufficient information to determine your eligibility for admission. Once we review your application we will notify you by email with instructions and a deadline should we need any additional documents including transcripts. Please do not send your high school transcript prior to your graduation unless we request it.

Additional documents may be required in certain circumstances:

For purposes of determining California residency, some students may be required to submit additional documents. For additional information regarding the establishment of California residency for educational purposes, visit the Residency information page.

Veterans of the United States armed forces should submit discharge papers (Form DD 214). This should include descriptions of the types of training you received while in the service. Such training, in some cases, may count as credit transferable to CSULB. Veterans and active-duty military personnel also must be sure to include any military transcripts (e.g., AARTS and SMART) displaying additional course work that may be transferable to CSULB.

Admissions Notifications

CSULB uses email as the official means of communication. Applicants are required to maintain a current email address on file with the university and to check their email regularly. You may update your email address or check the status of your admissions application at any time by visiting applicant self-service.

Offers of admission are normally made in March for Fall admission. All offers of admission will be provisional and subject to verification based on official transcripts. Admission offers may be withdrawn if the GPA, completed courses, or course grades are lower than what is reported or if you miss any admission deadlines. Please make sure to report accurate information on your application!

Do I need to respond to an acceptance notification?

Absolutely! In addition to submitting documents to verify the admission decision, newly admitted freshmen are required to accept their admission offer and pay a non-refundable $150 enrollment deposit by May 1st in order to reserve a spot in the class. The enrollment deposit may be waived for students receiving state or federal need-based grants or full financial assistance. The deposit will offset a portion of the student's State University Fee.

What if I am not offered admission to CSULB?

In addition to applying to CSULB, we hope you have considered applying to one or two other colleges so that you will have alternatives in the event that you are not admitted to CSULB. If you are interested in pursuing another CSU as your backup, it may be in your best interest to file a separate application with that campus during the initial filing period, as many campuses have early filing deadlines.

Can I appeal my admission decision?

Denials of admission are made only after an extensive review of academic qualifications and weighing those qualifications against the competitive nature of our applicant pool; therefore these decisions are rarely overturned and are considered only for extraordinary reasons beyond the control of the applicant.

Appeals must be submitted in writing within 15 days of the date on the denial notification and must include a basis for the appeal, and supporting documentation. We will notify you by email within 4 to 6 weeks, of our response to your appeal request. Only one appeal may be submitted for an academic term so the packet must be clear and compelling when submitted. More information on the Appeal Process.

Next Steps

Here are some important items to consider if you are offered admission and decide to attend CSULB:

Financial Aid: Check out Financial Aid to explore the programs that can assist in making CSULB affordable. Be sure to review the application procedures and priority deadlines.

Placement Tests and Early Start: If you do not qualify for an exemption, you will be notified that you are required to take the English and/or Mathematics placement test(s) no later than the May CSU system-wide administration date. If required, we encourage you to take them as early as possible. For more information including examination dates and qualified exemptions, please visit CSULB Testing, Evaluation & Assessment. The CSU system policy known as "Early Start" requires most incoming students who do not demonstrate readiness for college-level math and/or English to begin remediation during the summer before coming to the CSU. The goals of Early Start are to better prepare students in math and English before their first semester, thereby improving their chances of completing a college degree. For more information see Early Start.

College Credit: Students who are eligible to receive credit based on Advanced Placement, CLEP or International Baccalaureate assessments will need to have official test scores sent to CSULB. Be aware that credit granted by another institution does not ‘transfer’ to CSULB for test credit. Students who took college courses at an accredited 2-year or 4-year institution while in high school should submit official transcripts including earned grades for evaluation as some credits may also be able to count toward the bachelor's degree.

Campus Housing: All first-time freshmen at CSULB are required to live in University Housing (as space is available) during their first year unless they are, over 21 years of age as of the start of their semester of entrance, or will be living at home with a parent or legal guardian during their entire freshman year. Exemptions to this requirement will be considered based on identified criteria. Visit Housing and Residential Life for an explanation of the exemption process, and to learn about the various campus residence options.